


a light in the dark

by Mythicalinky (RENielsen)



Category: Rhett & Link
Genre: Canon Compliant, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, M/M, Panic Attacks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-04
Updated: 2019-09-04
Packaged: 2020-10-10 03:34:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,076
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20521262
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RENielsen/pseuds/Mythicalinky
Summary: Sometimes it feels like the only thing keeping Link breathing is having Rhett right there beside him.





	a light in the dark

Link stands with the sweater in his hands, burying his face in the soft fabric before he can stop himself. The familiar smell hitting his nose instantly calms him a little bit down. He’s been on the verge of a panic attack all day, barely being able to keep himself together. It’s time to go home soon, but Link is dreading it more than anything right now.

His hands tremble as he removes the shirt from his face, so he hugs it close to his chest. He should let go, put it back where he found it, sit back down at his desk before Rhett gets back to their office. He’d said something about being back soon, though Link doesn’t remember what he left to do. His thoughts had been drowning in the fact that he was leaving before Link was ready for him to go.

It’s first when a steady hand touches his shoulder that Link realizes just how much he’s been shaking. “Link? Are you alright?”

Before he can stop himself, he’s turned around and clings to Rhett like it’s the only thing keeping him from drowning. Maybe it is, at least it’s the one thing that makes it easier to breathe. The smell is stronger like this, pressed against Rhett instead of a sweater he used the last time it was a bit chilly in their office. It’s almost enough to bring a bit of peace in his head instead of the current whirlwind that it is.

He can’t say anything, can’t tell Rhett why he’s apparently freaking out for no goddamn reason. The words are caught in his effort to not start sobbing. He can only cling to Rhett, as he can’t think of any other way to not fall apart.

Pain flashes through his chest, makes him gasp out, a sob finally leaving him. It’s too much, too much, too much! Rhett says something, but Link can’t hear it. His blood rushing through him is too loud in his ears. _Thump-thump, thump-thump_. His ear pressed against Rhett’s chest. It’s the most soothing sound Link has ever heard. He breathes in deeply. Suddenly though, almost as if Rhett doesn’t realize that this is what Link needs, he’s being jostled, moved away from the sound of the other’s heartbeat. The safe heat of Rhett’s body disappears and Link writhes around not able to stop himself from trying to reach out for him. Dread runs through him, leaving him back icy cold. 

Rhett is going to leave him. He’ll be alone.

The warm hands never leave him, though, not as Link expected they would. Instead, he’s being led a couple of steps backwards until the back of his knees hits the couch and he’s being lowered down onto the cushion.

Kneeling down in front of him, Rhett just barely lets his fingers touch Link’s cheek.

“What do you need me to do?” he asks, keeping his voice calm and clear so it’s easy for Link to understand the words.

“Please don’t leave,” is all Link can gasp out, the fear of that exact thing happening, keeping the panic running wild. His breathing is too erratic, and it’s getting harder and harder to breathe properly. To get in the must needed air in his lungs.

Rhett makes a hushing sound, before saying, “Breathe out, Link, all you can. Blow it all out.” A big part of him wants to protest, say that he needs what little air he’s got left because he can’t get anything new in. He could just as well have hands applying pressure on his throat, making him choke out too quickly.

The biggest part of him trusts Rhett, though, and he doesn’t even have to give it much thought before he does exactly as the other man suggested. A warm hand finds his, and he clings to it with everything he’s got as he blows out what little air he’s still got in his lungs. Eventually, his body starts acting on instinct, draws in new oxygen, and eventually makes his breathing even out in something that’s almost calm.

It’s first then that Rhett finally dares to move once again, and this time, though Link can’t make himself let go of his hand, he doesn’t panic the same way he did when Rhett started moving them before. He makes himself comfortable on the couch and then pulls Link closer until Link is nestled between Rhett’s legs and they’re cuddling close together on the couch, only just separated by the sweater Link is still holding in his arms.

“Want to talk about it?”

Really, Link doesn’t, just wants to stay right where he is, where the thoughts bothering him is silenced and he doesn’t have to worry about anything except just being. Rhett would accept that answer in a heartbeat, Link knows that, but he also knows that at some point they’ll have to talk about it and that his thoughts won’t really be calmed until they have.

“I’m going to miss you,” he mutters into Rhett’s shoulder.

He doesn’t look up at him and instead squeezes his eyes shut so he won’t have to see the expression on Rhett’s face. The frown, brows close together, eyes soft but confused, mouth slightly open already starting to form the words to the automatic answer: ‘I’ll miss you too’. 

The words don’t come, and it’s worse than hearing them, worse than the words that don’t mean the same thing they do to Link.

“Rephrase,” Rhett says softly instead, finally making Link blink up at him.

“What?”

“That’s not what you wanted to say. I can’t read minds, bo, so tell me what it is you really wanted to say.”

“Sometimes it feels like I won’t be able to breathe when you’re not there,” he says quietly instead of the words that should be said. _I _need_ you there with me, you’re my life, my reason to smile, my reason to keep going. I don’t know what I would ever do without you. I can’t stand the thought of not seeing you from the end of the day to the beginning of a new and even less for weeks at a time. My favorite time is the time I spend with you. You’re the light in the dark, the other half of my heart. _

The words go unsaid, but it seems like Rhett understand anyways. He usually does. He understands Link better than any other person, curtsey of spending most of their lives together.

With the hand Link isn’t holding, Rhett runs his fingers through Link’s hair. Link relaxes into the touch. This is everything Link could possibly want in the moment, softer and warmer than they usually is with each other. Link never doubted that Rhett loves him, but this isn’t usually what they do. There’s nothing he wishes more that they would, though. It’s the safest place in the world, being right here in Rhett’s arms.

“You were excited about going, though?” Rhett says though it comes out more like a question.

“Yeah.” And he was. Link loves vacation, loves getting to see new places, loves spending time with his family. Hates being away from Rhett.

“But not anymore?” Link just shrugs as an answer, and Rhett hums thoughtfully. “It’s only a couple of weeks, and then we’ll be back. I know it’s going to be a bit of a mess with the time zones, but you can call me every day if you want to. Even if it’s the middle of the night then I’d pick up the phone and talk to you. I’d take the first plane to come get you if you needed me to. You’ll be okay, though, and I can’t wait to hear all about the things you guys do while you’re away, just like I can’t wait to see you again and tell you about everything I did.”

“I wish we could go together.”

“Next time we’ll find somewhere to go together, all of us,” he promises, and Link doesn’t doubt that he means it.

Next time, they’ll go together next time. Not this time, because it’s too late now. They’re both leaving in a few hours, getting on their respective planes to each their location with each their family. Link can call him, though, and he knows that Rhett would pick up even if he called every hour while they were away from each other. He’ll help make him breathe again if it becomes too hard on his own. He’ll be there even when they’re thousands of miles away from each other.

“Yeah,” he agrees, and then for a while, none of them says anything at all. Instead, they just stay right where they are, drawing comfort from each other by just being there.

Link should get up, should allow for Rhett to do so as well. He doesn’t though. Knows that as soon as he does, then the moment will be broken, and he’ll have to go home and get ready for the trip. Knows that it’ll mean that he really has to say goodbye to Rhett, that they’ll get into each their car and not see each other for weeks.

He stays where he is until Stevie sticks her head inside wondering why they’re still here. She leaves easily enough when Rhett just shakes his head in an ‘I’ll explain later’ kind of motion. He stays a little bit longer after that as well, only finally getting up when Rhett stops petting his hair. The movement stopping is what makes him realize that he really can’t stay there forever, even if there’s nothing he wants more.

Their office is blurry when he slowly gets up, and he stumbles a bit over his own feet as dizziness washes over him. A dull pain resides in his head, and his body is heavy with exhaustion. Link is so cold all of a sudden, even in the warm office, and holds the sweater closer to his body.

Rhett stretches as he gets up from the couch, seeming unconcerned that he’s wasted at least an hour calming Link down from the panic attack he worked himself into.

“Better?” he asks, and for a moment Link is tempted to say no, just because he knows that Rhett won’t leave him until he is, even if that meant missing a flight. In the end, he just nods before he can change his mind.

Rhett smiles at him, that one smile that’s for Link only. The one that’s been Link’s for thirty-five years. Too quickly Rhett starts gathering his things together, and Link just stands there watching him as he does. It’s not until Rhett holds up a bag for Link that Link realizes that he’s been packing Link’s things together as well.

He takes it automatically, feeling awkward as he’s still clinging to Rhett’s goddamn sweater. Maybe he expects Link to give it back, so he can put it away with the rest of his belongings, but Link doesn’t want to.

“Can I keep this?”

Rhett frowns as Link holds up the bundled-up sweater in his arms. “It’s too hot out to wear a sweater, bo.”

“I know, but it smells like you,” he says, voice small and insecure. Afraid that Rhett will say no, that it’s too weird, and that Link has to give it back.

The frown dissolves, though, and instead Rhett just smiles at him, pulls him in for another quick hug. Link can’t help but close his eyes and let the calming scent of Rhett wash over him while he’s still got it. He’ll probably call Rhett as soon as the plane lands, and he knows that Rhett will be waiting for him to do so. That he’ll tell Rhett how he fell asleep on the plane before it even took off, and Rhett will laugh and softly tease him. ‘_You can fall asleep anywhere, bo. Too bad I wasn’t there to take pictures,’_ he’ll say, and Link will laugh with him, though all he’ll be able to think is that he really wishes that he would be there.

When he lets go, his smile is soft, and Link knows then that he doesn’t have any reason to worry that Rhett would deny him anything. Not at this moment at least.

“Of course, love. Keep it as long as you need.” He then holds his hand out for Link, and as easy as anything Link takes it.

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first work in this fandom, so I hope it worked out alright!


End file.
